I Am the Storm (The Night Firm Book 2)

by Karpov Kinrade

  He runs a finger over my neck, and I can see the desire in his eyes, but he shakes his head and kisses me gently instead. "I've already fed. I just wanted to see you. And to bring you food," he says, gesturing at the platter, which is filled with eggs, cheese and dates, and a goblet of juice.

  "I'm starving actually," I say as my stomach rumbles. It's easy to forget to eat when you live with vampires, though they are certainly doing their best to remind me at every turn.

  I take the tray to the table in front of the fire and he joins me in the other seat while I eat. "Don't worry," I say. "We have a plan. We'll find out whoever is framing you and—"

  "I tortured someone," he says, interrupting me, his gaze lost in the fire, his mind somewhere in the past. The flames dance over his pale skin as he speaks quietly of his past. "Long ago…thirty lashes for the crime they had committed. I…I didn't want to, but it was required of me by my Order."

  I reach for his hand, having finished all my food. "What was the crime?" I ask.

  "They had forsaken their oath," he says, then glances at me, his eyes glistening with the pain of the memory. "They had given in to the dark Magicks. Used it to kill rather than heal. Thirty lashes," he says, returning his gaze to the fire. "And it was only the start of their punishment."

  He pulls his hand from mine and rolls up his sleeve, looking at the red lines that run past his elbow. There is more than one scar and I can only imagine what the rest of him looks like beneath his clothes. "I should have refused," he says, staring at the reminders of his recent torture. "Even if it meant leaving the Druidic Order. I should have refused." He looks away, from the fire, from me, from the memory, maybe. "But I didn't. I followed my orders, even though I was a healer. Even though I was sworn to do no harm."

  We are both quiet for some time, and then he turns back to face me, his eyes haunted. "I thought you should know. With…with what's happening between us, whatever it is, I thought you should know the truth of me."

  "Oh, Liam," I say, touching his face gently, searching his eyes. I see the compassion in him. The healer beneath the hothead. "I do know the truth of you," I say. "And your past deeds are a part of you, but they are not the whole of you. They are not the complete truth. Believing they define you is the true lie."

  For a moment, as I study his beautiful face, his soulful eyes, I wonder if maybe I could tell him about Adam. Maybe he wouldn't react in haste. Maybe…

  A polite knock at the door startles me out of my thoughts. We both turn to see Elijah clearing his throat. "Apologies for interrupting. It's time to investigate the crime scene," he says to me. "That is, if you still wish to go."

  I nod. "I'll be right down."

  Elijah looks at his brother and smiles warmly. "It's good to have you home," he says, before closing the door behind him.

  As we get downstairs, we hear arguing coming from the library. It seems every five minutes at least two of the Night brothers are going at it.

  Sebastian's voice carries the loudest. "What do you mean you're not going?" he demands.

  "I mean, I have a case to prepare," Derek says coldly. "Even if we find the egg, it won't be enough to exonerate Liam. They'll think he's just giving it back to avoid more punishment. We'll need to prove his innocence to the jury. Show he had no motive. Redirect blame onto other parties—"

  "And we will," Sebastian says, irritably. "But in the meantime, I need you by my side. Ava'Kara likes you. You two share elemental magic. Who else am I supposed to bring to the lair of the water dragon? The fire Druid?"

  We walk in and Derek glances at me, then looks away sharply. "You'll have Eve."

  "Get your head out of your ass," Sebastian says. "We're going." He looks at me, frowning. "Ready?"

  "Yes," I say.

  We walk towards the door, Liam joining us, when Elijah grabs him by the shoulders. "Hold on there, brother. Sebastian's right. You can't go near the water dragon right now. If she sees you, it will just make things more difficult. Especially for you."

  Liam's temper flares instantly. "So, what am I supposed to do?" he demands. "Sit on my thumbs while you read?"

  Elijah shrugs. "If you insist. But no, I was thinking we should come up with other leads. Discuss past enemies of yours. Make a list of who else we could investigate to create reasonable doubt."

  "That's a good idea," I say, brushing my hand along Liam's arm.

  "Whoever murdered Mary is behind this," Liam growls, and my heart sinks at his words and at his anger.

  "But that was Jerry," Sebastian says.

  "You saw the note," Liam says. "It might not have been him. He wasn't lying about the note and he might not have been lying about the murders. Which means the real killer could still be out there. And now they might be after Mary's remaining baby. After my baby."

  I put a hand on him to calm him. "I don't think it's the same person," I say. And it's true. I don't think Adam is behind this.

  Derek looks at me, then at Liam, and his face twists in disgust. He leaves the room and heads to the carriage without another word while Liam seethes with rage. It's clear that while he may have felt sorry for hurting someone in the past, he will not feel bad for punishing whoever killed Mary and her baby. I can see in his eyes there's no room for compassion. Liam will be the death of my brother, and my heart breaks all over again. One day soon, I will lose one of the men I love. I just don't know which.

  The Dragon

  No one but Night, with tears on her dark face, watches beside me in this windy place. ~Edna St. Vincent Millay

  We travel by carriage to the water dragon's lair. While Derek drives, Sebastian and I sit in the back as we bump along a winding road. As the castle fades from sight, and we drive past homes that have seen better days, the earth Druid raises an eyebrow and leans closer to me. "What's going on between you and Derek?" he asks.

  "You noticed that, huh?" I study my hands and fidget with invisible lint on my pants.

  "It would have been hard not to," he says, softly.

  Shit. I don't want to lie to anyone else. "I…I can't tell you. It's… "

  "Between you and him," Sebastian says. "I understand. I just hope he didn't hurt you."

  I realize he means romantically, like a lover's quarrel and I shake my head. "No, it's nothing like that. He didn't hurt me. If anything, I'm hurting him." I pause, leaning into Sebastian's shoulder as his arm wraps around me. I savor the comfort of him—the warmth of his body, the subtle scent he gives off—as I say what I can without betraying Adam.

  "I don't want to lie to you," I begin. "But I can't tell you the whole truth either. Not yet." I sigh, twisting the edge of my shirt in my hands. "There's a choice I have to make. Only…I don't know how to make it. I don't know what the right course of action is. People always talk about things like it's so easy to know what to do, that the hard part is doing it." I look up at his forest green eyes. "I think it's the opposite. It's easy doing the right thing. The hard part is knowing what the right thing is. That's what's paralyzing."

  He nods in understanding and squeezes my shoulders. "Sometimes there is no right choice, only the choice you will regret the least." He pauses, looking out the window of the carriage. "Take your time," he says, returning his emerald gaze to me. "I'll be here to talk whenever you're ready."

  A flood of emotion crashes through me and I lift my hand to his face, cupping his strong square jawline. "Thank you, Sebastian," I say. "I know you'll always be by my side. I know you'll protect me."

  He frowns, placing his hand over mine. "I haven't always protected those I love."

  The word love strikes me, and in a moment of abandon I erase the little distance that remains between us and press my lips to his.

  He is the first Night brother I met. The first I felt this strange and unyielding attraction to. The first I craved, and yet we have danced around each other, never quite meeting in the same place. Until now.

  Sebastian moans against my lips, his body tensing and then he pulls me into his lap and
I sigh at the closeness, at the pleasure that cascades through me as our kiss deepens and his tongue explores mine, his teeth tugging at my lips, his fingers pressing into my back, digging into my flesh, his body pulsing with the need I also feel.

  When the carriage stops, I sit back, surprised by the intensity of our connection. His eyes are dilated, and his body is needy with desire. I ease off his lap, shaking from the euphoria of finally feeling him so close, and yet craving more. Craving it all.

  He kisses me once more and glides his hand through my long hair. "You are more than I ever could have hoped for," he says.

  Then Sebastian exits the carriage and I follow him, tugging at my clothing to right them.

  We’ve arrived at a pool of sapphire water hidden in a cove. Several waterfalls pour into it from steep cliffs above, and as we step out of the carriage my feet squish into bright emerald moss that lines the shore. Near one of the waterfalls, a mermaid rests languidly on a partially submerged boulder, her pink and purple fins glistening in the light of the Dragon's Breath.

  Derek hails her from the shore. "Greetings, Mira. We are here to examine the nesting site of the egg. We have the necessary documents, of course." Derek pulls out a parchment to show her.

  "You are expected," Mira says over the waters without looking at the paper. "You may enter. Do you need accommodations for entry? Or would you prefer to do it yourself? We have heard your abilities have returned, Water Druid."

  "Word spreads fast around here," I mutter, and Sebastian just grunts in dry amusement.

  "I will make my own path," Derek says and then raises his arms. As he does, the water before us parts, making a path of dry land to the center waterfall.

  Sebastian and I follow Derek. I marvel at the walls of water that have formed on both sides of us. Fish and other larger creatures I can't see clearly still swim within them. I take a cautious step closer to Derek, not wanting to be left behind to face whatever is submerged beneath these waters.

  When we reach the waterfall, Sebastian takes my hand. "Don't worry. You won't drown."

  "I wasn't worried, until you said that," I say with a snort.

  Derek enters the waterfall first and it parts for him. Sebastian and I step through next, then drop into a dark stone hole slick with water and slime.

  We slide down the hole like the world's most terrifying water slide, and Sebastian catches me in his arms when we land in a bubble of air made by Derek. Around us looms an underground city full of wonders that my mind can scarcely comprehend. An underground castle made of sparking stone and coral stands tall, a plethora of plant life in bright colors dotting the landscape around it. Merpeople form an impromptu line to either side of us as we float to the entrance of the castle. Some are swimming, some are riding what look like giant sea horses. Derek uses his magic to guide us within the walls of the fortress, where we no longer need the air bubble. I hear a slight pop as it dissipates around us and the thick humid scent of moss fills my nostrils. We land gently on our feet and walk to a grand door guarded by an Enforcer dressed in the customary black.

  "We're here to examine the nest." Derek once again holds up the signed parchment. "We've already requested permission."

  The Enforcer—who appears mostly human despite his fury tail and ears—takes the paper and examines it, turns it over a few times as if some magical words might appear—which, given where we are, might be legit— then nods. He's a beast of few words as he escorts us through the door and down a long hall lined with more Enforcers heavily armed and on alert. We get to large stone doors that require massive strength or magic to open. The Enforcer pulls out a clear crystal and sticks it into the center, and the doors part, stone grinding against stone, shaking the floor beneath us.

  "It would take someone highly skilled and connected to infiltrate a place like this," Sebastian says.

  I look at the Enforcer, who stands by the door as guard with the other two already there. "How many people have stones that can open this room?" I ask.

  He looks down at me with an unreadable expression. "Only the Elite and the Dragon Queen herself. Five in total."

  "We should look into who had access," I whisper to Sebastian, "and see if any of those crystals went missing."

  He nods as we walk into the nest, and I stop and sweep my gaze over the incredible display of wealth before us. We are in a cave full of blue crystals that shimmer with their own internal light, casting fractal reflections off the gems and gold piled high everywhere. I shake my head, wondering why this level of wealth would be hoarded rather than used to enrich the lives of those in the Otherworld.

  Not everyone here lives in mansions and castles. While on our drives through the countryside, I've seen those who live in squalor and poverty. Those who have lost all they have to fires or feuds with other supernatural clans. The wealth on display before me could help so many.

  But that's not why I'm here, I remind myself, refocusing my attention on any clues we might discover. I walk to the nearest wall and hold out my hand to see if I can sense anything with my powers. Since I have no real idea what I can do, I'm mostly winging it, but I do feel the thrum of the magic that lives in this whole place. Across parts of the stone wall are black marks that look like deep scars in the rock.

  At the end of the cave, much to my surprise, a pair of burning Ifrit are leaning over something on the ground. Flames rise from their reddened skin as from wood in a fire pit, casting everything around them in an orange glow. Looking at them, you'd think they'd smell of burning flesh—which isn't a great scent. But it's more a smoky smell, like the remnants of a campfire.

  "Ifi? Elal?" I walk over to them and they turn, smiling, and dim their fires until they look almost human. Ifi, the smaller one, is dressed in a white lab coat and Elal, the taller and more musical of the two, is wearing a dark cloak and slacks underneath. They both have burnt orange-red skin and red hair that looks impossible to tame. Their eyes glow like mini suns and it's almost hard to maintain eye contact with them for long with how intense their gazes are. "What are you two doing here?"

  Ifi glances at his feet and I see the body on the ground.

  "Ah," I say, solemnly. "I didn't realize there were casualties."

  Ifi walks over and hugs me. Fortunately, he's not covered in body goo this time. "Girlfriend, there are always casualties in life. And this is a mess of one. I know I say this a lot, but I really mean it. It has been a day. Has it not, Elal?"

  Elal joins his lover and nods. "Ifi isn't exaggerating this time. It has, indeed, been a day."

  Then Ifi frowns, gripping my arms. "We heard about Liam and are so sorry. How's that sweet little girl doing?" he asks.

  Ifi and Elal took care of Alina after Mary's death, so of course it makes sense they would have a bond with her. "She's well. She wasn't hurt in the explosion. Seems she got her dad's penchant for fire-immunity," I say. "But I'm sure she misses you. You should come for a visit soon."

  Ifi claps his hands in delight. "Yes, please and thank you." He looks to Elal. "I think we need a baby, lover. I miss Alina, don't you?"

  Elal puts an arm over Ifi's shoulder. "I do miss her. And maybe it is time to expand our family."

  I'm dying to ask what the process is for two gay Ifrits to have a child in the Otherworld, but one: that seems rude and inappropriate, and two: I just now notice the details of the body at their feet and I have so. Many. Questions.

  The Enforcer is more creature than person. Very whip-like with hair made of tiny serpents, now dead, and a body that ends not in feet but in a long snake form wrapped in a black Enforcer uniform. Their eyes are also blindfolded. "Why are their eyes covered?" I ask.

  "My dear, that is a basilisk," Ifi says. "One look into her eyes would paralyze you."

  "So, she wore this while alive?"

  "Yes," Elal says. "Else she would make a very ineffective guard, paralyzing everyone she saw."

  Sebastian joins us, laying a hand on my back. "I've battled a rogue basilisk in the past. They a
re not ones to trifle with."

  "How could she see anything if she was always blindfolded?"

  "Their other senses are extremely honed," Elal says. "She was especially gifted. Top of her class at the academy. Her name was Ethne Brinn. 6'7", single, parents deceased."

  Sebastian crouches to examine the body more closely. "Cause of death?"

  "Stabbed in the bloody chest," Ifi says dramatically. "And the skin around the puncture wound is black, indicating it's decaying faster than the rest of the body."

  "Like those black marks on the wall," I say, noting the similarities.

  Sebastian nods. "This was dark magic. Not something you see often anymore." He glances at the marks on the wall and frowns. "Where are the other victims?"

  "There are no other victims," Elal says. "Just her."

  "Only one person was left to guard the egg?" Sebastian says, disbelievingly. "That seems highly reckless."

  Elal nods. "There are usually a few more guards from the Elite, but the attack happened during a shift change, apparently."

  Derek pauses his examination of the nest to listen to our conversation, though he doesn't join us. He's still pissed, clearly. I don't blame him though.

  "This was well-planned," I say, thinking things through.

  Sebastian nods. "At first I thought whoever did this took advantage of the explosion at the courthouse. A bit coincidental but possible. But this happening during a shift change makes that unlikely. The timing is too perfect. The crimes must be related."

  "These are dark times," says Ifi, shivering. "Earthquakes. Fires. Storms. Missing corpses."

  "Wait, what? Corpses have gone missing?" I ask.

  Elal nods. "Someone has been breaking into the morgue and stealing the bodies. Particularly, rare races."

  "Aren't the morgue and cemetery guarded?" I ask, remembering that the two gargoyles, Okura and Akuro, were powerful deterrents to mischief when I first visited there.